Wilmington, MA and Hillsboro, NH –SYLVANIA Automotive, the leader in automotive lighting solutions for the automotive aftermarket and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), today announced the kick-off of its participation and support of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month (GYTSM), in partnership with the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS). Every May, youth and traffic safety advocates from across the country unite during NOYS’ GYTSM to focus on prevention of vehicle crashes, which are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Although sometimes overlooked, headlights are an active safety feature for drivers, and increase visibility to help avoid obstacles and collisions.

The observance of GYTSM provides an opportunity for NOYS, SYLVANIA Automotive and other sponsors to highlight the importance of keeping America’s youth safe, especially since motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. Key themes during the month include: speeding, drowsy driving, impaired driving and nighttime driving.

During GYTSM, SYLVANIA Automotive is bringing awareness to parents, guardians and teens on the hazards of nighttime driving. According to the National Safety Council, driving at night is more dangerous than any other time of day, with traffic deaths three times greater at night compared to daytime hours. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one-third of fatal teen automotive crashes occur at night, with 57 percent of those taking place before midnight. The most common factor for these nighttime crashes is driver vision, which is the most important sense for driving and is compromised at night. Given SYLVANIA Automotive’s position as the global leader in automotive lighting, the brand is committed to doing its part to educate consumers about common myths surrounding headlight replacements and the opportunity to increase visibility through a simple action – correctly installing the proper headlights – that could prove critical in avoiding dangerous situations on the road.

“As traffic deaths continue to be on the rise for teenage drivers, keeping youth safe on the road is our top priority,” said Anita Boles, CEO, National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS). “With visibility being a key factor in many automotive crashes, and with most of these crashes and fatalities happening during nighttime hours, we are thrilled to have SYLVANIA Automotive shed some light on the hazards of nighttime driving, and the importance of headlight quality and care.”

“With the warmer weather, prom, graduation and summer vacation just around the corner for teen drivers, now more than ever, it’s critical for parents, guardians and youth to understand the risks associated with nighttime driving,” said SYLVANIA Automotive’s Marketing Manager, Brian Noble. “Distractions behind the wheel for teenage drivers can lead to dangerous and even fatal incidents, and most teen automotive crashes occur during nighttime hours. Awareness and visibility are key components of decreasing fatalities, as every second and foot counts when reacting to a situation on the road.”

Noble continued, “Teaching young drivers about the importance of good lighting and seeing farther down the road with value-added headlights is one of the most important safety measures that can be put into place. Headlights are the first line of defense for drivers. We are proud to be a member of NOYS, and to be sponsoring a week of GTYSM to help educate teen drivers about headlight maintenance that will keep them safe on the road.”

The following headlight maintenance tips will help teens, parents and guardians better prepare for driving after dark, and improve vehicle safety:

Replace before burnout: Headlights can dim over time, so replacement before burnout is suggested. Dimming creates less light on the road and less light downroad - when every foot counts, dimmed headlights could result in 10, 20 or even 30 feet of light reduction down the road.

Always swap in pairs: A new bulb paired with an old bulb creates an uneven field of vision for drivers, which can be a major distraction on the road.

Invest in farther down the road headlight bulbs: Value-added headlights help increase downroad visibility so drivers can react sooner.

Properly aim headlights: Properly align and aim headlights to ensure that they are aimed on the road, rather than in the eyes of oncoming drivers.

For improved safety during nighttime driving, the SYLVANIA SilverStar® family of automotive lighting includes a variety of value-added headlights to suit individual needs and driving styles. SilverStar ULTRA headlights are designed with safety in mind, to be the farthest downroad headlight from SYLVANIA and to improve contrast and clarity of objects on the road. Together, these features enable motorists and teen drivers to see farther down the road, with increased side road and peripheral visibility.

In addition to being a week-long sponsor for NOYS’ GYTSM, SYLVANIA Automotive also signed on to become an annual NOYS member, further showcasing its commitment to educating youth on the importance of safe driving and headlight maintenance.

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About National Organizations for Youth Safety

NOYS was originally founded as the Traffic Safety Collaboration and for its first 10 years was supported by funding from government agencies, including the Department of Transportation. In 2005, NOYS became a 501(c)(3) organization and incorporated as the National Organizations for Youth Safety, and has since grown to include over 100 national member organizations. NOYS continues to maintain a strong focus in traffic safety with support from government and businesses, and has expanded to include other safety areas such as injury prevention, substance abuse prevention, and violence prevention. For more information on NOYS, visit www.NOYS.org.

About OSRAM SYLVANIA Automotive Lighting

OSRAM SYLVANIA, together with OSRAM GbmH, is the world leader in automotive lighting for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the aftermarket. The company’s global automotive lighting division has its principal North American operations in Hillsboro, N.H., with nearly 600 employees. In addition to TS 16949, this facility has also achieved ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications. Automotive Lighting designs, develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art automotive light sources, including auxiliary, advanced halogen, LED and high-intensity discharge lighting for interior, exterior and forward lighting applications. More than 400 lamp types are produced for cars, trucks, and electronics in facilities throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Automotive applications for OEMs are marketed under the OSRAM brand while products for the aftermarket are sold under the SYLVANIA brand.

About OSRAM

OSRAM, based in Munich, is a globally leading lighting manufacturer with a history dating back about 100 years. The product portfolio includes high-tech applications based on semiconductor technology such as infrared or laser lighting. The products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality, autonomous driving or mobile phones to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. In automotive lighting, the company is the global market and technology leader. Based on continuing operations (excluding Ledvance), OSRAM had around 24,600 employees worldwide at the end of fiscal 2016 (September 30) and generated revenue of almost €3.8 billion in that fiscal year. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Munich (ISIN: DE000LED4000; WKN: LED400; trading symbol: OSR). Additional information can be found at www.osram.com.